


Cass in Hand

by DreadRedd



Series: Cass & Guns [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:15:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25886431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreadRedd/pseuds/DreadRedd
Summary: Cass stumbles upon the Slog with a large gash in her leg and very few bullets left. Luckily, there's some kindhearted ghouls willing to lend a hand.First in a series of short stories about Cass and Wiseman; takes place in a different universe than "Trying to Find Atlantis".
Relationships: OC/Wiseman
Series: Cass & Guns [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878478
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn’t often that Wiseman found smoothskins wandering around the Slog. Sure, while the General had helped develop the place, a few people had popped by, but only to help her build. Despite her protests and open disapproval of their attitudes, not many of the builders were fond of ghouls. He always let her know it was alright, that he and the others were used to it, and that they appreciated her help anyway.

“I swear on my life, Wiseman,” she’d said one day. “I’m not the only ‘smoothskin’ who can look past appearances.”

“You’re just one of a rare breed, Nova.” He’d replied, chuckling. “But I believe you.”

The smoothskin he found wandering that night, though, wasn’t Nova. She was younger, smaller, seemed to have a limp, and was lugging a brown suitcase around. Her eyes flicked from side to side, and the pistol in her left hand showed that she was prepared for an emergency. He watched her for a moment, trying to assess if she was dangerous, then decided to take a risk.

“Are you alright?” he called out.

She froze up, her glance darting around until she saw him. She held her hands up. “I don’t mean any harm, mister, promise! Just tryin’ to find a safe shelter!” The hint of a Bostonian accent rested on her lips.

“We don’t mean any harm either. I can get you a bed up here, if you really need it.” If she was as harmless as she sounded, none of the others would mind.

“Please and thank you!” She called back. She lifted the suitcase as best she could, and began limping her way up the hill.

As she stepped a bit closer, Wiseman could see blood stains on her jeans, and a deep tear in one leg, the one with the limp.  _ Shit,  _ he thought.  _ Recent injury, seems. _

He took a few steps down the hill. “Can I help you with that bag?”

“Yes, please,” she chuckled. “Ran into a pretty angry Yao Guai, so I knew I wasn’t makin’ it home tonight.”

They met halfway up the hill, and then stopped, actually taking a moment to look at one another. Wiseman knew she hadn’t realized she was talking to a ghoul up until then. His voice was raspy, sure, but he always tried to keep his vocabulary pretty standard. Plus, he knew from a distance that he just looked like a bald human.

The young woman was fairly roughed up, but still pretty, in his view. Her hair was tied in a braid, and she wore a leather jacket with some armor underneath. Her eyes were a faded green, and upon noticing that, he realized her smile hadn’t faded, even with actually looking at him.

She held the suitcase towards him. “You don’t know how much I appreciate this. I thought I was gonna have to hide in a bush and pray for the best,” she chuckled.

He took the suitcase and held an arm out towards her. “Need a hand? That wound looks pretty fresh, don’t want you putting too much pressure on it.”

She smiled weakly, but linked her arm in with his. “That obvious, huh?”

He kept his pace slow, walking with her up the hill back to the Slog. “I just recognize when wounds need to be treated. Seen it happen more than once around here, sadly.”

“Lot of folks live here?” she asked.

“Eight of us, myself included. Not the most glamorous life, but hey, we’re doing alright for ourselves.”

“And ain’t that all we can ask for these days?” She grinned.

They reached the top of the hill, and Wiseman led her inside the main building. He could tell that most of the residents were asleep in the makeshift bedrooms down the hall. The only one in the main area was Holly, who looked up from what seemed like an intense game of Solitaire.

“Well, who’s this?” Holly asked with her typical wicked grin.

“This is--” Wiseman paused, realizing he’d never gotten her name.

“I never introduced myself, did I?” the woman chuckled. “I’m sorry. Cassidy Stewart, but everyone just calls me Cass. Nice to meet ya both.”

“I’m Holly, hon, and that gent’s Wiseman. What brings you our way?” She leaned back in her chair.

“I, uh, needed a place to bandage this up,” Cass said, motioning to her leg.

Holly looked down, then nodded and stood up. “Lemme see if we’ve got some extra bandages, kid. Wise, get her comfy.” She jogged down the hall.

“I was going to--” Wiseman sighed. “Never mind. Here, let’s get you set up.” He walked Cass over to his regular lounge chair and sat her down.

Cass relaxed into the chair, then leaned forward and rolled her pant leg up. She hissed upon seeing her own wound. “I should’ve known making this delivery was a bad idea.”

“Delivery? Where--” he cut himself off. “Sorry, don’t mean to pry.”

“No, no, if I keep talking, I don’t think about my leg,” she said. “Happy to chat. Actually, need to. Please keep talking to me.”

Wiseman cracked a small smile. She was spunky, that was at least true. “Alright. What were you delivering, and where were you heading?”

“Clothes,” she said. “I do delivery for a shop back near Diamond City, and we’d gotten a pretty good order from folks at the Covenant. Boss said she’d have her bodyguard go with me, but no, I had to insist on going out on my own.” She chuckled. “You guys ever need any, you let us know.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” he replied. He had dozens more questions to ask her, but he had a feeling now wasn’t the time. Either she was oblivious, or somehow Diamond City had changed its policy on ghouls. Knowing Diamond City, he had a feeling it was the former.

Holly popped back in the room with a roll of bandages and a stimpack. “Here. Wise, hold the top of these for me. Hold still, kid.” She knelt down in front of Cass and wrapped one roll of bandages around the top of her calf, instructing Wiseman to hold them together, then wrapped it slowly down her leg.

Cass winced slightly at new contact with her wound, but held still well enough for Holly to finish wrapping the bandages. She was always bad at dealing with injuries, her own or other peoples’. 

“Alright, where do you want the stim?” 

“I dunno...I guess just in my thigh?”

Holly nodded, and in one quick movement, jabbed the needle into Cass’s leg and pressed down on the end. 

Cass’s eyes shot open, and she froze up. After a moment, her eyes softened, and she started to sway.

“What happened?” Wiseman demanded, looking at Holly.

“First time stim, I bet,” she replied. “Grab her.”

Wiseman jumped up and quickly grabbed onto Cass, right as she started to slip off the chair. He adjusted his position so she was back up in the chair, but her head was drooping.

Holly sighed. “Alright. She’ll be back in an hour, unless it takes longer on smoothskins.”

“You could’ve at least warned her,” he retorted. 

“She needed the stim sooner than later, or that injury would’ve gotten way worse.”

Wiseman looked back over to Cass. Her blonde bangs flopped over her eyes, and she had a fairly calm look about her, despite having just gotten hit with a stimpack. Must’ve fallen asleep pretty quick after passing out.

“Alright, I’ll give her my bed for the night. I’ll crash in the chair.”

Holly patted him in the back. “This is why you’re the boss.” She stood up and walked back to her room.

Wiseman shook his head, then carefully lifted Cass up and brought her to his room, laying her down on the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Cass groggily came to, looking at her surroundings. She was in a bed she didn’t recognize, in a room she didn’t recognize. And there, lazily flipping the pages of an old book, was a ghoul she had just only come to recognize.

She slowly sat up, looking at him. “Wiseman?”

He perked up in his chair and turned to her. “Hey, you’re awake, good! How’re you feeling?”

“Like my brain doesn’t exist,” she replied, rubbing her temples. “What happened?”

“Holly’s guess was that’s the first time you used a stimpack.”

Cass nodded. “Thought it would be easier than that…”

“First time’s always a doozy. You seem to have your senses about you though, so that’s good.”

“How long was I out?”

Wiseman looked out the window, checking for the moon. “Gonna guess three hours or so. It’s just past midnight.”

She chuckled weakly. “At least I got a few good hours of sleep. Doesn’t always happen that easily.”

“Hey, you’re talkin’ to the guy who’s been awake those hours you’ve been asleep. I get it.”

Cass scooted back, leaning against the wall behind her. “Mind me asking a few questions?”

Wiseman crossed one leg over the other, putting the book down on a small side table. “Do I get to ask some in return?”

“Would only be fair,” she grinned. “So, where exactly am I?”

“The Slog,” he replied. “Ghoul-run tarberry farm, upgraded and protected by the Minutemen, thanks to that General of theirs.”

Cass paused a moment. “Garvey or Vaultie?”

He chuckled. “Vaultie, if that’s what you guys call her. Nova.”

“Yeah, I know her! She stops by the shop from time to time to get some new clothes for folks at some of her settlements who need them. Real nice lady. Cutest dog in the world.”

“Loves a good tarberry, that dog. Nova’s gotten him to do tricks for them.”

“Ooh, I better ask her when she visits again,” Cass clapped her hands together. “Alright, your turn!”

Wiseman paused a moment, trying to think of a decent question. “What’s life like in Diamond City these days?”

“Pretty decent, if you just avoid the mayor or any racist assholes. I mean, it’s all I’ve ever known, so I’ve got nothin’ to compare it to, really,” she admitted. “Born there, raised there, work there.” She paused, tilting her head slightly. “Guess that’s why I jumped at the chance to make a farther delivery. Time away.”

The muscle where his eyebrows would’ve been raised slightly. “Racist assholes?”

She nodded. “People who keep getting paranoid about synths and freaking out about ghouls. Nova almost had to stop a fight when she tried bringing a ghoul into town to help her out with some stuff, and the detective practically has to hide all the time.” She looked back to him, her eyes drooping. “I can only imagine what you deal with.”

He could’ve sworn Nova was speaking right through her. The General had practically said the same thing to him, with just one difference: Nova was angry, filled with righteous vengeance. Cass seemed sad, empathetic. It hit Wiseman differently in a way he hadn’t quite expected.

“It, uh, it’s a part of life by this point. When you’ve been around as long as I have, you just get used to it.” He shrugged one shoulder.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down,” Cass said. She scratched the back of her neck. “You’re just… well, you’re the first ghoul I’ve actually had a conversation with, so…”

“Curiosity is natural,” he replied, in what he hoped was a comforting tone. “Don’t let it get to your head, but I trust you. Ask what you want.” He let out a small grin.

Cass chuckled lightly, relaxing again when she saw his smile. “How old are you? The way you said it earlier, you made yourself sound super old, but you don’t look it.”

“Would you believe me if I told you I’m pre-war?”

Her eyes widened. “Are you?”

Wiseman nodded. “Born April 24th, 2056. I was twenty-one when the bombs dropped.”

She paused, furrowing her brows. He chuckled. It was the reaction he got easily with any non-ghouls he talked to. “I’m around 235 years old, give or take a few months. But ghouls age significantly slower, so mentally, I’m probably in my thirties.”

Cass stared at him for a moment, trying to subtly give him a once-over, but it wasn’t as discreet as she hoped. “You look like you’re in your thirties.”

“I feel like I’m in my thirties. Just… if your thirties were really messed up.” He grinned.

She smirked. “I’ll let you know when I get there. Who knows, mine might be messed up too!”

They chatted for a while longer, bouncing questions back and forth. He learned that Cass was twenty, was the child of two Diamond City guards, and always wanted to explore the Commonwealth, but was often held back by her nerves. She’d admired General Nova since she first heard of her story, and cited her as being an inspiration to get out there and explore more. Cass learned that Wiseman was actually his last name, and that his full name was Peter James Wiseman, but he’d gone by his last name ever since his ‘rebirth’ as a ghoul. He’d lived in various parts of the Commonwealth throughout his life, but was comfortably settled at the Slog, as not too many raiders tended to notice it, and other smoothskins who weren’t merchants or working with the Minutemen actively avoided the ghoul-filled settlement. So, despite the Commonwealth being what it was, the Slog was pretty safe.

After an hour or two of talking (neither of them were able to keep track or remember, not that they cared) Cass found herself drifting back to sleep, and Wiseman had just started to feel tired. In no less than five minutes after quick ‘good night’s, they were both out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! "Cass & Guns" is just going to be fun shorter stories for me to work on while between chapters of "Atlantis", and I've really enjoyed working on them so far.
> 
> As a note, in this universe, the Sole Survivor is Nova (my first character), and things are much more canon-based than in "Atlantis".


End file.
